Engine valve mechanism.



G. F.=GILLETTE.

ENGINE VALVE MEGHAEISM.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.27, 191.4.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

`forni motion.

@MWD @raras Param" orrioij.

GEORGE F. GILLETTE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

ENGINE VALVE MECHANISIVI. I

T0 all whom it may nomic/m Be it known that I, GEORGE F. GrLLnrr'rn, a

citizen of the United States of America,'re

siding at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented cer-- tain new and useful Improvements in Engine Valve Mechanism, of Which the-following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates` to a "alve mechaiiism especially adapted tor use in connection Witlian interna-l combustion engine; but the invention includes a construction which may be pnt to other uses besides those in connection with an internal combustion engine.

Although there are many different uses to which my invention may be applied, its'utility is as great or greater in connection ivith an internal combustion engine than in connection with other mechanisms; and I therefore explain my invention and its uses iny With an engine of the automobile eral portions oi the valve have a greaterA motion over the base than the inner portions, resulting in unequal wear and resulting` eventually in leakage. In the type otl valve where a reciprocating plate has been used there has been the disadvantage ot' non-uni- My new valve combines the advantages of uniform motion with equal motion of all points in the valve plate.

The motion of my valve plate over the valve base may be broadly described as a motion of gyration in which separated points pass through similar non-concentric orbits. Thus where a singleI valve controls the ports-ot' aA plurality of cylinders, the movement will be. the same. for each cylinder and the ports will travel through similar orbits. There maybe many means ot attaining such 'i motion of the valve plate. Broadly speaking, this motion may be attained by revolving any point on the valve plate about any point on the base and by specification nf Leners Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

Application filed February 27; 1914. Serial No. 821,364.

keeping any line in the valve plate parallel to itself during its motion of revolution. Specifically, I accomplish this motion by giving any two points of the valve plate synchronous motions ot' revolution about tvco fixed points on the base. Every point on the 'alve plate pert'orms a motion of revolution about a corresponding point on the base; every-point on the valve plate travels over a distance equal to that traveled by any other point; and the Wear of the plate and the base is therefore uniform.

In the specific application of my valve mechanism to an internal combustion engine, I may preferably form the base or base plate .of the valve directly on the heads of the engine cylinders, although this may be arranged in other manners. My valve may be applied to a single cj-vlindc-r or to a plurality ot' cylinders. It lends itseltl very efficiently to the operation 'of a multi-cylinder engine, as it is only necessary to employ a single plate for any desired number ot cylinders.

I have slioivn this preferred application Ot Fig. -lis ahorizontal section taken on line Iirthe drawings, the numeral 10 may designate a suitable. crank case carrying the crank shaft 11 in suitable bearings, the crank shaft having the ordinary -cranks 12 arranged in th'e usual relative, position. I have shown the cylinders 13 cast in one piece; although this is not necessarily the ease, And I have also shown the valve base 14 as being formed integrally with the heads ot' the cylinders. lt will be. seen that this constriu-tion is not imperative, although it wake-z simple the application of my valve to a niulti-evlimler engine. The valve base 1-1- is flat on its'upper tace and the valve plate l5 liesI flat-ly on the upper face ot' the hase, being confined bythe lower plate 16 ot the inlet and exhaust manifold casting-17. Around the outer edges ol the base 14 a liangi 1S is, raised, and the casting 17 is secured to this 'flange so that the valve plate 15 is completely housed in.

The base 1l oi' the valve has an inlet and exhaust lport, and 21 for each of the cylinders extending through the base to the fzfheadof the respective cylinders. The ports fr; eanh''cylinder are arranged circumfer- I`4'entiall'y about any determined axis; and,

for'sim'plicity, I arrange each set of ports abeiittthegaxiaof the corres13onding\cylin dei". "Itiviil be noted that the ports are at a uniform vradial distance from the correspondingaxes, and that they are of uni- .-.ferm .radialvwi'dth The exhaust ports are iii . ofi somewhat greater circumferential extent than the inlet ports; and the end conliguratin of-'all the ports is circular, so that the registration of the circular' plate ports 22 -With the baseports 20 and 21 will be as 'maved by` a crank mechanism embodying:r

*tuin cranks 23 having crank pins 2i. tonnecled directly with the plate 15, theV radius of me pins 24 from the crank shaft 25 being eqnai tothe average radius of the ports 2O and 21 from their respective axes. The cranks 23 With their pins 2li are originally set in thesame phase of movement; for instance, the pins 24 may be both set on the line through the tivo crank shafts 25. Means are then employed to drive the two cranks in the sameldirection at equal speed. In 'Fig'. '1 Ihave shown beveled gears 26, 27 cbnnecting the valve cranks with the engine crank shaft 11 so that both valve cranks are driven at th/esame speed in the same direction. Suppose now, that the plate is inthe position shown; then'theports 22 Will-be in relative positions shown, being at the right hand extremities of their circular' motions, and being inthis specific ease all on a line of the axis drawn through the two valve cranks and through the axes of the several cylinders. Rotation of the two' cranks in the direction indicated .will cause rotationl of the several plate ports about the several cylinder axes and will cause the plate ports to travel over the base orts 20 and 21, the plate ports traveling rst over the exhaust port 21 and-then over the intake port 20, in each instance.

The timing ofthe several cylinders is accomplished by placing the corresponding ports at different positions about the respective axes. In the arrangement shown, the timing is one, three, two, four, numbering the cylinders from the'right hand end. The timing of the valve with one or all cylinders involves simply the setting of the gears 26,- 27. in the position shown, the piston in the right hand cylinder is ready to be- 'gin its downward suction stroke and the right hand valve-port 22 is just ready to 'register with the inlet port 20 for that cylinder. The piston in the third cylinder is just beginning its exhaust stroke,l and the corresponding valveport has just registered with the exhaust port 21 before the piston begins its upstroke. The piston in the'second cylinder is just beginning its downward firing stroke; and the fourth piston is just beginning its upward compression stroke.

The bottoni plate 16 of the manifold casting 17 has ports 20 and 21 similar t0 and directly labove po'rts 20 and 21 respectively. There may be a division iva-ll 30 in-the manifold, dividing the manifold into eX- haust and intake compartments; and suit,

able exhaust outlet 31 andinlet 32 may be arranged conveniently on the manifold. It is not'necessary that the arrangement of manifold above the plate be exactly as shown; I have shou'n this arrangement as a simple form to carry out and complete the functions of my valve mechanism for multi-cylinder engines.

As hereinbefore stated, I do not limit myself to the details of construction' and application of my valve mechanism. The primary and fundamental features of my valve are contained in the base with its ports and the gyrating plate with its ports moving on the base. The extent and configuration of the various ports are of minor importance; as is also the manifold or other construction above the plate 15.

I claim- 1. A valve mechanism, comprising a stationary vvalve base having a port therein, a valve plate having a coperating port adapted to register with the base port 'during a part of the valve movement, a pair of operating cranks for the valve plate having pins connected With the plate, so that there are tvvo points on the valve plate constrained to move in rotation about the two cranks,

'and means to rotate said cranks in synchromsm.

2. A valve for internal combustion engines and the like, comprising a stationary valve base having a port leading to the engine cylinder, a flat valve plate resting on the base having awcoperating port, a pair of operating. cranks for the valve with axes normal to the plane of the-plate, the pins ofthe cranks being at a common Aradius from their respective axes and connected directly to the plate, and means for causing synchronous rotatinng'of the cranks.

3. A valve mechanism for multi-cylinder internal combustion engines or the like, comprising a flat stationary base with ports leading to the several cylinders, the ports for each cylinder being circumferentially arranged about an individual axis at a common radius, a flat valve plate on the base having a port for each of said cylinders adapted to register with the corresponding cylinder port, all the plate ports having a common position relative'to the respective axes about which the base ports are circumferentially arranged, a pair of .valve 0p-. erating cranks with axes normal- (to the plane of the valve base and plate and With crank pins directly connected With the plate at a radius from the respective'crank axes equalto the radius of the plate ports from,

the port axes, and means to rotate said cranks 'in synehronism.

4. A valve mechanism for multi-cylinder internal combustion engines, comprising a at valve face having inlet and exhaust ports therein for the respective cylinders, a fiat valve having ports for coperation With the ports in saidl valve face, and means for parts in the valve with the inlet and exhaust ports of the valve face and with unequal time intervals corresponding to the cycle of a gas engine, said ports in said valve and valve face being relatively positioned for ders.

5. A valve for internal combustion engines or the like, comprising a fiat base having a plurality of ports therein, a flat valve having a port for coperation with the base ports, and means to impart to said valve a gyratory movement such as to' cause the alternate registration of said valve port with said base ports and With unequal time intervals therebetween corresponding to the Cycle of an explosion engine.

6. A valve mechanism in a multiple-Cylinder engine, comprising a stationary base plate having a plurality of ports therein, a ported valve member common to said cylinders, and means for imparting a gyrating movement to said member such that each port in said member will successively engage its respective ports in said base plate at unequal time intervals.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature in presence of two Witnesses. t

GEORGE F. GILLETTE.

Vitnesses:

JAMES P. BARRY, HENRLETTA E.l BOWMAN.

sequential registration in the several cylin- 

